Wiaan Mulder Reflects on Proteas' Strategy in World Test Championship Final

Mulder's Insights on the Proteas' Mindset

Wiaan Mulder, the all-rounder from South Africa, expressed that the Proteas' strategy alleviated his anxiety about failing during the second innings of the World Test Championship Final against Australia at Lord's in London on Friday.

He emphasized that the team's focus was on accumulating runs. Additionally, he noted that batting at the number three position was a fresh experience for him in first-class cricket. "This approach diminished the fear of failure as I entered the innings. We discussed aiming to match whatever runs the opposition scored. There was significantly less anxiety about failing this time around. We agreed on capitalizing on the bad deliveries. Batting at number three is new for me, as I haven't done it in first-class matches before," Mulder stated post-match.

Day 3: A 'Supersession' for the Proteas

Mulder referred to the third session of Day 3 as a 'Supersession' and acknowledged the contributions of Aiden Markram and South African captain Temba Bavuma in achieving something remarkable for South African cricket during the WTC Final.

"It was a super session; both Markram and Bavuma have endured a lot, and you could see they were exhausted. It was heartening to witness two players who have dedicated so much to South African cricket achieve something special today. The pitch was slower today, showing signs of wear and tear. Even while bowling, everything seemed to unfold at a slower pace, and I'm pleased we took advantage of that," he added.

Markram and Bavuma Steady the Proteas

South Africa managed to score 213 runs in 56 overs, bolstered by a century partnership between Aiden Markram and Temba Bavuma. Despite dealing with a hamstring injury, captain Bavuma persevered to score a half-century.

Earlier in the day, a solid half-century partnership between Aiden Markram and Wiaan Mulder positioned South Africa favorably at the end of the second session on Day 3 of the WTC Final at Lord's. By the session's conclusion, South Africa stood at 94/2, with skipper Temba Bavuma (11*) and Markram (49*) still at the crease.

Mitchell Starc delivered an outstanding performance, helping Australia recover to 207/10 from a precarious 152/9, leading by 281 at lunch. Starc remained unbeaten at 58, setting the target for the Proteas to chase 282 runs to secure their ICC title.

Match Summary

Brief Scores: Australia: 212 and 207 (Mitchell Starc 58*, Alex Carey 43, Kagiso Rabada 4/59) vs South Africa: 138 and 213/2 (Aiden Markram 102*, Temba Bavuma 65*, Mitchell Starc 2/37).